If you take children away from their parents it causes a damage that cannot be repaired, especially with little children.1 I wish no other child would have to go through these same sufferings.

The Jugendamt was in a great hurry the 5th of September 2013 to separate me from my parents. But the court cases and the organisation of contacts to my parents took a long time. I was not allowed to see my parents at all for seven weeks. My sisters who are 9 and 11 years old could hardly handle it and I considered it also, as very terrible. During the three months I could not even meet or phone with my girl friends who were also locked up in institutions or with foster families.

I was lied to by the Jugendamt several times. Through that I lost my trust towards my custodian. I was promised for example that I could see my parents after two weeks and visit my best friend for her birthday, but to my great disappointment this did not happen.

Also my right to privacy in letters was not protected. Once for example I gave an important letter to my parents to my educator to be sent. I was very shocked when they gave me this letter back after two days and it was opened. All my letters were read by the Jugendamt or the educators. I could never express myself freely and normal during visits or phone calls with my parents because we were constantly watched. I felt like a prisoner.

Another terrible experience was that I was interrogated by the criminal police for 3 hours. They put pressure on me to lie and accuse my mother. There was no legal protection for me and my lawyer could not be there. I was made to feel like a criminal and I did not know where to find help…

It is hard for me to talk about all my experiences because it was such a nightmare. But unfortunately this nightmare is not over yet…

My sisters and all the other children still have to be separated from their loving parents. I just want to wake up from this terrible dream … but how? Why do the judges not recognize the truth about us? Why does everybody just watch and no one stands up?? I ask myself these questions again and again.

A collection of articles and videos about the Schott family is available.

Sadly, young Besorah Schott speaks truly. As Michele Noterdaeme, Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chief physician of Augsburg Children’s Hospital Josefinum, who has closely followed the situation with the Twelve Tribes, said: “The younger the child is, the more dependent it is on the mother, the more good arguments it takes to remove him from the parents,” says the professor. “If a one and a half year old child will suddenly be separated from his mother, it means “a significant risk for the development. After the abrupt end of such a close relationship some children find it difficult to enter into new relationships. This can last into adulthood.” (This was in response to a reporter’s question: “Have the authorities overreacted?” See the post, “Which is worse?” ↩